That’s how much time I estimate I’ve “lost” to migraines. Time spent curled up in the dark, in a fog of pain and nausea. And that doesn’t include the days I’ve spent merely impaired – composing emails with one eye squinting shut, wincing at any noises louder than a whisper – and not wholly incapacitated.

”

– From the latest edition of the Galavant Times, to which you can subscribe. If you’re into supporting (random) people’s writing habits, etc.

So I have this newsletter. It’s full of win. Don’t take my word for it – how about these other people you don’t know but should listen to because don’t we all take it for granted that people on the internet know what they’re talking about, surely?

Here’s why I always look forward to and read the Galavant emails

It’s always been interesting so far so until proven otherwise, I know it’s time well used
It’s good value. Definitely better than Vogue (and I do mean that as a compliment)
Your hyperlinks always lead me to discovering new things
I like the format. I like the idea of a blog-like email
Your logo and title rock

Am enjoying the Galavanting. And very keen to see where you find the next intersection of the geeky + interesting + inspiring…

$2 a month. At least two people say it’s totally worthwhile. What more do you need?

“it might be worth more — particularly in the long term — to spend the time trying to confirm the reports that emerge through social media (was that tweet really from the niece of Whitney Houston’s hairstylist?) or to push the story beyond the simple report that something has happened and figure out what it means or why it matters. That kind of analysis and context has always been the most long-lasting aspect of journalism, but mainstream media outlets continually get distracted by the need for another scoop or another “exclusive,” something very few non-journalists care about.”

“another VC recently told me his firm recently had passed on opportunities to invest in some new tech blogs that were proposing a business model he described as “hush money.” Potential investors were being offered “most favored nation” status for themselves and their portfolio companies if they put money into the site.
This is what now passes for “journalism” in Silicon Valley: hired guns and reformed click-whores who have found a way to grab some of the loot for themselves. This is perhaps not surprising. Silicon Valley once was home to scientists and engineers — people who wanted to build things. Then it became a casino. Now it is being turned into a silicon cesspool, an upside-down world filled with spammers, liars, flippers, privacy invaders, information stealers — and their grubby cadre of paid apologists and pygmy hangers-on.”

“Brands and their marketers suffer from what I refer to as medium’alism, a condition where inordinate value and weight is placed on the technology of any medium rather than amplifying platform strengths and ideas to deliver desired and beneficial experiences and outcomes. Said another way, businesses are developing for the sake of development and establishing supporting presences without regard for how someone feels, thinks, or acts as a result. In doing so, “engagement” programs are calculated, brought to life in the form of an editorial calendar that, by its very nature, isn’t not designed to really engage people at all.”

“The beauty of Pinterest is that it doesn’t manufacture a need. Let me try to explain that. Basically, I mean that instead of making us share or create or produce — or do something that we otherwise might not do in real life (like say, “poke” — is that still a thing?), Pinterest takes what we all already do, puts it online, and makes it easier, simpler and more elegant.”

“The truth is that startups are always in a hurry and always make mistakes. A good CEO knows that she must remain nimble and prepared to deal with the fallout of those rushed decisions. And the mob has taught those nimble CEOs that a nuanced discussion is not what the mob wants to hear. They want to see that belly.”

Most of what is written about the tech world — both in blog form and old school media form — is bullshit. I won’t try to put some arbitrary label on it like 80%, but it’s a lot. There’s more bullshit than there is 100% pure, legitimate information.

The problem is systemic. Print circulation is dying and pageviews are all that matter in keeping advertisers happy. This means, whether writers like it or not, there’s an underlying drive for both sensationalism and more — more — more.